Matt Berry and the Maypoles – Live
If the name is not ringing any bells, Matt Berry is a very popular comedian across the pond in Britain. Most will remember him as the obnoxious boss, Doug Reynholm, in the classic British sitcom The IT Crowd. He can be seen now in his uber brilliant new series Toast Of London, in which he is the main writer and also plays the title character Steven Toast. It is very funny stuff indeed.
Berry has an interesting sideline in that he and his band play some of the most interesting blend of Prog Rock and Folk music that you’ll ever hear. This live album, released in December 2015, is basically a “Best Of’ album of songs from Berry’s three previous solo albums, Witchazel, Kill The Wolf and Opium.
The musicianship of his band, The Maypoles, is second to none. They play some mean Prog Rock man! The addition of strong background vocals from Cecilia Fage to help broaden the sound when mixed with Berry’s, how do I say, original folky jester like meandering vocals, brings it all together nicely.
During this 11-song set, the crowd noise is at a noticeable and pleasant minimum, and contains very little in between song banter. That is a plus however, some witty comments from Berry would have been welcomed. The album’s opener, “The Innkeeper’s Song”, starts off the set perfectly. The acid jazzy guitar along with the psychdelic synthesizer sets the tones for the rest of the album. The Toast Of London theme “Take My Hand”, a folk song on LSD, is played to perfection. The seven-minute Prog Rock infused “Soltice”, echoes of a Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull illegitimate love child. “Snuff Box” showcases the talents of the band. Andy Vickery steals the show on guitar, but Phil Scragg on bass tries to sway the crowd his way. The result is my favourite song on the album, a real delight and of course there is no need to “turn it off and on again”. Just leave it on. Bringing the album to its finale are the lighthearted “Devil Inside”, a song reminiscent of the ‘60’s, and “The Pheasant”, that takes you on a Prog Rock rollercoaster ride leaving you dizzy yet wanting more. If you are in the mood for something just a bit different musically, I recommend picking this up or streaming it from your preferred site of choice. Matt Berry and The Maypoles are; Matt Berry - Vocals Andy Vickery – Electric Guitar Mark Morris- Acoustic Guitar, Vocals Phil Scragg - Bass James Sedge - Drums Graham Mann – Keyboards (I need to say, Graham Mann is a musical genius and his creative playing really impressed me, and I’m not a huge keyboards fan, Sorry Elton) Cecilia Fage – Backing Vocals
